Match Report: Port Vale 1, Wolves 3 (video)

PORT Vale's largest league crowd for 15 years saw them beaten 3-1 by Wolves this afternoon.

The Valiants impressed in an evenly-contested first half in front of 12,601 supporters, but the 4,400 Wolves fans were making all the noise after Lee Griffiths fired them in front on 56 minutes.

Vale went close through Doug Loft and Carl Dickinson before substitute Bjorn Sigurdarson doubled Wolves's lead on 75 minutes.

Vale threw men forward but were caught on the break seven minutes from time as Kevin McDonald slotted home.Vale at least had the consolation of an injury time goal from Tom Pope who netted his first of the season with a back post header.

Micky Adams made just one change to the side which lost 3-1 at Oldham as Anthony Griffith replaced Kaid Mohamed.

Griffith partnered Chris Lines in central midfield as Doug Loft moved out to the right flank and Jennison Myrie-Williams was deployed on the left.

It was Myrie-Williams who created plenty of early problems for Wolves, not least in the 11th minute when Vale broke rapidly from a Wolves corner.

Myrie-Williams charged forward from inside his own half before taking on the last defender. The winger made room to shoot from 18 yards but his effort across goal was palmed away by Carl Ikeme.

Moments later Loft cut in on his left foot and sent a cross to the back post towards Myrie-Williams who had pulled away from his marker. The winger threw himself at the ball, but couldn't quite connect properly, much to the relief of the 4,500 Wolves fans behind Ikeme's goal.

Leigh Griffiths dragged an 18-yard strike wide before McDonald fired a 25-yard strike straight at Chris Neal as the visitors struggled to exert pressure on the Vale defence.

At the other end, Myrie-Williams was brought down on the edge of the area by Matt Doherty. Lines's free kick was met by Chris Robertson but his header was blocked a yard from the line.

Tom Pope met Lines's free kick with a flying header which whizzed just over before a third Lines's free kick also had the home defence in trouble before Lee Hughes headed wide at the back post.

Kevin Doyle fired just wide from 25 yards and Scott Goldbourne sent a powerful effort over from the same range as Wolves began to come back into the game.

Vale were forced into a reshuffle on the half hour when Dan Jones picked up a knock. Adam Yates switched from right to left back while sub Richard Duffy slotted in at right back.

Zeli Ismail's 25-yard strike was well held by Neal at the foot of his post before the keeper made an excellent save to push away McDonald's powerful long-range effort.

Goldbourne was forced off injured and replaced by Lee Evans on the stroke of half time.

Half Time

Port Vale 0-0 Wolves

The visitors came close within a minute of the restart when Ricketts' cross found Griffiths at the back post but he could only slide the ball wide.

But the visitors controlled possession and began to put the Vale defence under sustained pressure before taking the lead on 56 minutes.

Evans's crossfield ball picked out Griffiths on the right-hand edge of the area. Dickinson missed a chance to clear and Griffiths took full advantage as he brought the ball under control and rifled his shot past Neal from the edge of the area.

But Vale came desperately close to aleveller on 61 minutes when Yates crossed from the left, picking out Loft in the area. He met the ball with a powerful downward header which struck the inside of the post.

Ikeme produced a stunning one-handed save to keep out Dickinson's 18-yard volley as Vale poured forward.

Adams brought on Ben Williamson for Lee Hughes on 65 minutes as Wolves also made a change, swapping Ismail for Bjorn Sigurdarson.

Louis Dodds replaced Mryie-Williams on 70 minutes but Wolves snatched a second, on 75 minutes. Griffiths escaped down the right and sent a low cross into the path of Sigurdarson who steered the ball past Neal.

There was more pain to come for Vale, who were caught hopelessly exposed on the break on 83 minutes. Sigurdarson sprinted down the right and into the area before sliding the ball across for McDonald to sidefoot into an empty net.

Vale kept plugging away and hit the post through Ben Williamson before they at least had a goal to show for their efforts thanks to Tom Pope in injury time.

Chris Lines floated the ball to the back post and Pope rose to plant a powerful header between Ikeme and his near post.